A Christmas Tribble
by ElliotJA
Summary: On his way to visit relatives for the festive season, Admiral James Kirk has an interesting encounter with some Klingons.


**Historical Note:** _ **This story occurs in December 2272 AD, about two years after the end of the**_ **USS Enterprise** _ **'s first five year mission under James T. Kirk, and six to eight months prior to the events of**_ **Star Trek: The Motion Picture.**

"It's so strange," Winona Kirk said as she gazed out of the observation port at the stars drifting by in the blackness. "Traveling through space again after so many years." She turned round with a smile on her face. "Thank you for this, James."

Admiral James Tiberius Kirk returned her smile. "I'm glad you approve, Mother," he told her, before turning to address the elderly man sat nearby drinking cocoa. "How about you, Dad? Does the _Rhiannon_ meet your approval?"

George Kirk set his mug down and looked around the starship's VIP quarters thoughtfully. "Well..." he said. "It's certainly not the _Kelvin_ or the _Sato_ , but..." He looked at his son then and gave a laugh. "I suppose it'll do. What, are you kidding, Jimmy? This is great! And to think, we'll soon be spending Christmas with the grandkids on New Paris..." His smile quickly faded, replaced by a look of melancholy. "I just wish your brother was with us. There are times your mother and I still can't believe he's gone..." Winona, stifling tears, walked over to her husband and held out her hand. George stroked it tenderly.

James Kirk shared their sadness as his mind went back five years, to the _Enterprise_ arriving at the Deneva Colony to find his brother Sam dead, with his brother's wife, Aurelan, dying soon after; both of them victims of the interstellar parasites which had invaded their world and driven those they attacked first to madness, and then death. Peter, their son, had been fortunate to survive. He, along with his brothers, had been living with their aunt, Judith, and her husband on New Paris for the last three years. Kirk had not seen Peter since the tragic events at Deneva, and had decided this year to visit him and his siblings for the festive season. They would be arriving soon.

It was at that moment the intercom whistled, and the voice of Captain Ford said " _Bridge to Admiral Kirk._ "

"Excuse me," Kirk murmured apologetically to his parents as he crossed the room to the intercom. "Kirk here," he spoke into the device.

" _Sorry to disturb you, sir,_ " Ford replied. " _But I thought you should know, sensors have detected a Klingon battlecruiser approaching us at high impulse._ "

Klingons. The atmosphere suddenly felt ominous. Glancing at George and Winona, Kirk read deep concern and apprehension in their faces. "You better get to the bridge, son," Winona told him. "They might need you."

"I'm on my way," Kirk said into the intercom. The cabin doors swished open as he approached them, then he paused and looked back at his parents. "I'll try not to be gone too long. It's probably nothing serious." He stepped out into the corridor, the doors closing shut behind him.

OOOOOOOO

"Admiral on the bridge," a crewman announced as Kirk stepped from the turbolift and onto the _Rhiannon_ 's bridge. Kirk reflected briefly on how, even after two years, it felt strange to be called admiral rather than captain. Being Commander-in-Chief of Starfleet was a very important job, but he could not deny he often yearned to be where he was now - on the bridge of a starship, where the action was. He felt a slight flash of envy then as he thought of Willard Decker taking command of the _Enterprise_ upon completion of the ship's refit the following year.

"They're just coming into communication range, Admiral," Captain Ford informed him from the central chair as, on the main viewscreen, the unmistakable bulk of the Klingon ship grew larger and larger. It was a D7-type cruiser, probably one of the new _K't'Inga_ -class warships the Klingon Empire had brought into service in the last few years. "Shields up," Kirk heard Ford command, followed by "Hail them."

It took only a short moment for the image of the Klingon cruiser's exterior to be replaced on the screen with a transmission from its' darkly lit bridge, with the commanding officer facing them from where he sat on his throne-like chair, his swarthy, bearded features grimly set. Kirk immediately noticed that he was of the type of Klingon possessing a pronounced, bony ridge across his forehead and curving over the back of his skull. An officer, likewise ridged, stood beside him. His beady eyes glaring, the Klingon captain spoke: "I am Captain Krase of the Imperial battlecruiser _Amar_." His voice was a throaty, confrontational snarl.

"I am Captain Ford of the USS _Rhiannon_ ," Ford responded, his face and voice level.

"And I am Admiral Kirk, Commander-in-Chief of the Federation Starfleet," Kirk added.

On the viewscreen, Krase locked his fierce gaze onto him. "Kirk!" he exclaimed. "I know much of you, Earther! You are well known in the Empire. Long have I dreamed of meeting such a worthy foe in combat and bearing your head and heart back to Qo'noS as trophies!"

Kirk and Ford tensed on hearing this, ready to go into battle should the Klingons initiate hostilities. "Rest as ease, my Federation friends," Krase said then. "We come not to war today. As it happens, we have Federation citizens on board whom we wish to beam over. Will you accept them?"

"Federation citizens?" Ford asked. "How did they come to be on your vessel?"

"They are a scientific research team," Krase spat impatiently. "We took them from Iota Germinorum before our fleet decimated the planet. They have not been harmed, but should they remain on my ship for much longer, that may not last. Now _WILL YOU TAKE THEM FROM US?!_ "

"Yes, we will take them," Ford replied quickly. "Thank you."

"Your thanks are unwanted," Krase sneered. "We will beam the _petaQ'pu_ onto your ship in approximately five of your Earth minutes. _Amar_ out!" Krase's livid countenance blinked out, replaced by his ship floating against the starfield.

As he and Ford rode the turbolift down to the transporter room, Kirk remarked "Iota Germinorum...Isn't that the tribble homeworld?"

"I believe so," Ford said. "From what Krase told us, the Klingon Empire has taken very extreme action against the species." Kirk nodded. It was a well known fact that Klingons viciously despised all tribbles. Not terribly surprising, considering the few times the two species had come into contact had not gone particularly well for the Klingons. Attempts to render tribbles safe had met with only limited success, and their voracious appetites and extremely rapid breeding meant they were currently banned within the Federation as ecological threats. But tribbles were the least of their worries now. There had obviously been problems with the research team on the _Amar_. Could they trust Krase's word that they had not been harmed?

OOOOOOOO

When Krase materialized with the science team in the transporter room, Kirk was surprised to see a very familiar face among them. "Bones" he exclaimed.

"Jim!" Leonard McCoy stepped off of the transporter pad and approached Kirk. "You sonofagun, fancy meeting you like this!" The former chief medical officer of the _Enterprise_ now wore the uniform of a civilian doctor, and sported a moustache.

"I had no idea you were away from Earth," Kirk said as they clasped eachother's hands.

"I shipped out to Iota Germinorum four months ago," McCoy explained, nodding his head in the direction of the people behind him. "Doctor Shev's group needed a medic, and seeing as how I had prior experience with tribbles, they approached me."

"Doctor Shev...?" asked Ford.

"I am Doctor Shev," one of the scientists, a male Andorian, announced. "And may I say how extremely thankful I am that you came along and rescued us from the Klingons!" His twin antennae twitched as he glared at Krase, who glared back.

"I understand Captain Krase rescued you from the planet?" Ford inquired.

"We did!" Krase barked. "And they have done nothing but whine and complain, and disrupt the operation of my ship ever since we left that accursed world! My crew were close to mutiny before we detected your vessel!"

"Their actions have been appalling!" Shev protested. "They totally obliterated the tribble population of Iota Germinorum! An entire species, cruelly wiped out!"

"You should thank us, Andorian _toDSaH_!" shouted Krase. "The Empire does the galaxy a service by destroying those vermin! They are an ecological menace to all worlds, damn them to Gre'thor!"

Shev was not done. "You brutes disrupted months of research on the poor animals! And then there's how we were treated on the _Amar_! As soon as we beamed on board, they set those disgusting glommer creatures on us!"

"The _gIlo'meHmey_ are useful tools!" Krase retorted. "We had to make sure none of them tried to smuggle any tribbles aboard. High Command demands such measures!"

"You should've seen the quarters they stuck us in," McCoy said then. "Lord, the stench! Cold metal slabs for beds, and as for the food...God, I don't think I've ever been so nauseated in my whole life! If I ever see live worms again, it'll be too soon!"

"Enough!" Krase spat. "You are among your own puny kind now, and we have a task to finish!" He quickly looked around the room, then looked at Ford and sneered "Your ship is a garbage scow!", before turning and mounting the transporter pad.

"Merry Christmas to you too, Captain," Kirk said, smiling slyly at the departing Klingon.

Krase narrowed his eyes at him and gave a low growl. Activating his communicator, he barked " _HIjol_!" into it, and then disappeared in the light of the transporter beam.

Doctor Shev turned to look at Ford. "Captain, may my associates and I please wash and eat?"

"By all means," Ford responded. "My first officer will show you to your quarters."

"So, Jim, where're you heading?" McCoy asked as he and Kirk walked down the passage.

"New Paris, seeing Sam's kids," Kirk told him. "It looks like you'll be accompanying us, Bones. I'm sure you'll be able to find transport to Earth once we arrive."

OOOOOOOO

As it happened, McCoy was in no great rush to return home. When the _Rhiannon_ arrived at New Paris in time for Christmas Eve, he accepted Kirk's offer to stay with him and his relatives. "Nice to see the festive traditions are just as strong way out here as they are on ol' Earth," McCoy remarked as they travelled on the air-taxi, looking out the window and down at the myriad Christmas lights shining in the deepening dark of the evening.

Judith greeted them warmly upon their arrival at her home, as did her children and Kirk's nephews, especially Peter. As they ate dinner together, Kirk informed them about the encounter with the Klingons. "The tribbles have all been blown up?" Judith's seven-year old daughter, Clara, asked when she heard. Up until now she had been bright and happy, but now she looked sad. "Why'd the Klingons do that? Tribbles are so cute."

"It's just the way Klingons are, Clara," Peter told her gently. "And besides, tribbles can be dangerous. Right, Uncle Jim?"

Kirk knew his nephew was not wrong; tribbles could indeed be extremely hazardous. But still, looking at little Clara's heartbroken expression, he could not help feeling some remorse himself as he pondered the species' extinction, and the fact that soon, no one would hear that contented, soothing purring again...

OOOOOOOO

Kirk was awakened early on the morning of Christmas Day by the sound of Judith's children excitedly running to the lounge, followed quickly by the sound of wrapping paper being eagerly ripped from presents. Having dressed and refreshed himself, Kirk was just approaching the lounge when he heard it: The unmistakable purring he had heard twice before, both times on the _Enterprise_ , along with the delighted laughter of children. Briefly wondering if McCoy had somehow managed to sneak a tribble past the Klingons, he entered the room and saw Clara and her brother kneeling on the floor near the tree, both of them stroking two pink, furry blobs that pulsed slightly.

Judith was sat on the couch. She looked at Kirk with a smile. "They're artificial. Epsilon Toys have just started producing them," she explained.

Kirk looked at her, then back at the children and the tribbles. "Toys?" he said, amazed by how realistic they were.

He realized McCoy was standing beside him then. "Perhaps I'm growing overly sentimental as I grow older, Jim," he remarked, "But this is a sight that warms my heart."

Kirk took in the sight of the children playing with their new toys within sight of the Christmas Tree, and savored the wonderful warmth in his soul that came from the knowledge that, one way or another, tribbles would go on being loved...

 _Merry Christmas across the galaxy._


End file.
